I love Springtime! There's something so invigorating about seeing trees bud and flowers bloom, spending more time outdoors and putting away heavy coats. Of course, it's not a perfect time of year. Allergies kick up, thunderstorms pop up, and Tax Day slips up on you. Still, it's one of my favorite seasons.

After a few months of dreary weather, the warm sunny days are completely energizing me. I have several challenges I'll face over the next couple of months - there are big changes happening at my day job, and I'm going to finish writing and editing Granted.  Even though both of those are daunting, I'm feeling optimistic and up to the tackling the gargantuan tasks before me. Today, I feel like I can do anything!

What invigorates and encourages you to take on those challenging goals in your life?

Sometimes simply waiting for the train can be an adventure. Depending on the day, the platform can be packed or empty, and this particular day, it was vacant. It was a pretty day, warm - but not overly so -- and I had my eReader out enjoying a good romance.

"Hey Miss."

I looked up, expecting to see someone asking me for money. When people interrupt your reading, that's the typical question. Either that, or they're lost and need directions. But typically, they want money.

Instead, this homeless man held out a flower. "This is for you."

"No, thank you," I said as politely as I could. I suspected that he'd give me the flower and then expect payment for it.

"Take it. It's yours."

"Thank you, but no, thanks." I smiled and tried to be as nice as I could, since he was being so pleasant.

Instead of accepting that I didn't want the flower, he began cussing, threw the flower at my feet and stormed away. That's when I realized that he'd picked the flower from one of the planters on the platform.

I guess I'll never know if he genuinely wanted to give me a flower or if he wanted money. Either way, he didn't take the rejection well.

I just finished a meeting with someone whose last name is Coffin. I immediately thought Wow, I wonder what you think about your name. Is it something you love, something you hate, or something you never think about?

When my husband and I named our daughter, we received quite a few opinions (mostly negative) about the name we'd chosen. (All I will say is it sounds the same, but isn't spelled the same, as a former president.) We didn't listen, and now our loved ones agree it was the perfect name for her.

When I write, I try to choose the perfect name for the character, one that embodies who they are or their situation. Sometimes the name comes to me immediately, and sometimes I struggle. Secondary characters' names aren't quite as important to me, and many times I'll simply write the first name that pops into my head. With my latest story The Ugly Sister, I accidentally named a character Mark Sparks. One of my beta readers caught it and told me that she didn't like his name. I considered changing it. After all, he plays a very minor role, and I didn't want his name to draw more attention than it should.

On the other hand, his name cracked me up, and I loved the irony that one of the more serious characters had a fun name. So, I compromised. Mark Sparks retained his name; however, I made sure in the story that I never placed his first and last name next to each other.

Now you know a little secret, and we share an inside joke!

Have you ever experienced a name that drew your attention? If you have, feel free to share below.

Have you ever built something up in your mind to the point that it becomes overwhelming?

Sometimes we put such an emphasis on something that it seems to take on a life of its own. It becomes way more important or impactful than we ever intended, and, therefore, becomes more daunting.

This is what has happened to me with Granted. (NOTE: The rest of the paragraph contains spoilers to Wished! If you plan to read Wished, feel free to skip to the next paragraph.) When I wrote Wished, I had the concept of what would happen if your fairy godmother fixed you up with the school nerd instead of Prince Charming. In the beginning, I had every intention of Honey ending up with Micah. When that didn't happen, I wanted to give Micah his own story, and the pressure began to create a tale worthy of my "anti-hero".

Wished would never have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends. Not only did I want to use Granted as the way to wrap up the series, I also wanted to pay tribute to all those wonderful people who supported me, read my work and gave me invaluable feedback. So, in addition to the pressure of writing a good conclusion, I piled on top of that the pressure to show my loved ones how much I valued them.

That's a lot to ask of a 50-thousand-word romance.

Which is why I've struggled so long to finish the story. It became more important than simply telling a tale. It became this act of love and ambition that I built up in my brain, and the longer I waited to dive in the harder the task seemed.

​So, I'm taking a stand -- against myself.
​I've promised Granted over and over, and I'm tired of breaking those promises. The story WILL be published by Summer 2018. I won't allow myself to work on any other project until it's done. For better or worse, triumphant success or miserable failure, I will deliver this book to you within a few months.

​No more excuses!

You've worked so hard on your story. You've written a great manuscript. You've chosen a publishing route. You've either pitched your manuscript to industry professionals, or you've been working hard to get everything ready for your self-publishing debut.

So, now what?

If you haven't already, it's time to build your social media presence.

But, you may say, my traditional or vanity publisher will be handling my marketing. Yes, they will handle some marketing for you. But you are not their only writer, and they will expect you to get the word out, as well. 

You will need a website and email address. You need to choose which social media platforms you'll use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Having an online presence shows your readers and publishing professionals that you're serious and committed to your craft. It lets them know that you're going to be around and won't disappear as only a one-hit wonder.

​Are you going to blog in addition to writing your next manuscript? Blogging is a great way to keep in touch with your readers while they are waiting for your next story.

​Whatever you choose, make sure it's something you can easily keep doing. After all, your biggest job is to write your next manuscript, and your readers will expect both - your social media presence and the promise of a new book soon.

​There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to which social media outlets you use - as long as you have them. So, if you haven't already, get social, my friend! (Feel free to share your site or social media information in the comments so that we can follow you!)